


this is not somewhere else but here

by resistate



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Bi Andrew Poje, Bi Kaitlyn Weaver, Bi Scott Moir, Bi Tessa Virtue, Ensemble Cast, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Nashville-adjacent, POV Outsider, Polyamory, Romance, TTCYT-adjacent, Tessa Virtue's green pant suit, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 18:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17647358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/resistate/pseuds/resistate
Summary: The Nashville road trip in sixteen hot takes.





	this is not somewhere else but here

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the fabulous @/stylesloved and @/tessavirtch for beta reading <3
> 
> I wrote this to cheer myself up the weekend of IDF and the last TTYCT show and finished editing it the weekend before Canadian Nationals, which is to say it passes recent events completely by.

_Prologue_

It starts in different places for all of them. Places where one or two or three or four of them realise there’s something here other than friendship. Places like on the ice; in a car; outside a locker room; inside a dorm room. Places like Waterloo; Canton; Moscow; Osaka. Spin the globe and see where you land. They’re a single world, the four of them, and at the same time they’re a world split into parts: four satellites, all in orbit around all the others.

Their individual worlds had tilted on their axes in Sochi, and they’d slowly, tentatively formed a collective one in its wake. Their collective world stops spinning altogether, just for a moment, on a bus on the way to Nashville.

 

  1. _Meagan_



‘You guys should get married,’ says Eric. He sounds as long-suffering as Meagan has ever heard, which is impressive considering they’ve been skating together for eight years and the ISU is an organisation which exists. More to the point, they’ve been on this tour for 41 days: long enough to try anyone’s patience. Meagan certainly doesn’t blame Eric for sounding like he’s close to losing his. Not when the usual suspects are being especially usual tonight. Across the joke of a living room—so four feet from Meagan at most—Scott, Tessa, Andrew, and Kaitlyn are all squeezed onto a two-seater sofa. Scott is sandwiched between Andrew and Kaitlyn, and Tessa only fits because she’s on Andrew’s lap. Kaitlyn is curled toward Scott, one hand resting on his chest, the other reaching across to rest on Tessa’s thigh. Andrew has one arm around Scott and the other on Tessa’s hip. It would be too much, thinks Meagan, if it weren’t kind of adorable. If everything didn’t make her miss Bruno a lot, this would definitely make her miss Bruno a lot.

‘Seriously, though,’ Eric continues, obviously bored with the movie they’ve been watching. ‘Why aren’t you guys married yet?’

‘If we got married everyone would know we’re together,’ Tessa says, mostly into Scott’s neck. Meagan can make out what she’s saying anyway, since it’s clearly a variation on Tessa’s well-worn theme of privacy. Mention of marriage is new though, Meagan notes, and so is the blush creeping up Scott’s neck. He’s avoiding making eye contact with anyone, and so is Kaitlyn. Interesting.

Kaetlyn snorts. ‘Everyone knows you’re together. Everyone in skating, anyway.’

‘How?’ asks Andrew, like he’s genuinely curious.

Meagan wishes she could let this go unchecked, she really does, but she just can’t. ‘Oh my God,’ she bursts out. ‘Look at yourselves!’

‘Look at YOURself,’ says Andrew, mildly. And while it’s true that Meagan is perched on Eric’s lap, that’s different. Meagan is life-sized, Eric is very comfortable and also a giant, and she can say with confidence that their relationship is one hundred percent platonic. Unlike some people. Let’s just say she’s heard a lot of people on this bus spout a lot of bullshit whenever they’re shoved in front of a camera.

 ‘I’m gay,’ says Eric, coming to Meagan’s defence and proving, once again, that he is the best partner.

 ‘I think we’ve established that like, five out of eight of us are gay,’ puts in Kaetlyn. ‘Literally five out of eight people on this bus are gay.’

The two sofas in the long narrow room are identical in size, shape, and a truly unfortunate shade of green. Kaetlyn and Eric are managing to sit a decorous distance apart and Patrick has stolen all the cushions and is sprawled on the floor; proof that although there isn’t a lot of room on the tour bus that’s getting them from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Nashville, Tennessee at the eleventh hour, there’s more room than certain lovebirds would have you believe.

‘Look,’ says Meagan. ‘You’re in love and you want the same things in life and you share the same, I don’t know, values, or whatever, and plus you’ve been like that—’ she waves her arm in a way meant to encompass all the ways in which Tessa and Andrew and Scott and Kaitlyn are all over each other ‘—all fucking tour.’

Kaitlyn nods, like Meagan might have a point, which. Of course she fucking does. 41 _days_.

Patrick, who’s been suspiciously quiet, grabs the remote off the floor and points it at the screen, pausing the movie. ‘Here’s a question,’ he says, looking straight at the occupants of the other sofa. ‘What movie are we watching?’

‘Something with Liam Neeson in it,’ says Scott, confidently.

‘Oh, yeah, you’re right,’ says Kaitlyn. ‘What’s that one he did with Ewan McGregor?’

Meagan can feel Eric very valiantly trying to stifle his laughter. She elbows him discreetly anyway.

Tessa’s face is scrunched up like she’s actually thinking about it. She peers at the screen. ‘ _Waterworld_ ,’ she says, decisively.

‘I don’t think that’s a _Star Wars_ one though, T,’ says Scott.

‘What’s the name of the one where they’re underwater the whole time, then?’ asks Tessa, twisting to look at Andrew.

‘Oh, um, _Phantom Menace_ ,’ says Andrew.

‘Final answer?’ asks Patrick, his face a mask of innocence.

Eric’s whole body starts to shake with suppressed laughter, and Meagan jabs her elbow harder.

Andrew glances at Tessa and Scott and Kaitlyn in turn, all of whom nod encouragingly. ‘Final answer,’ he says.

‘Okay, gimme that,’ says Kaetlyn. Patrick tosses her the remote and she presses play. Kate Winslet is sprawled across a jagged piece of wood looking extremely cold. Leonardo di Caprio, chest deep in icy-looking water, clings to the side.

Kaetlyn lifts the remote over her head and drops it. It hits the floor with a satisfyingly dramatic thud. ‘THAT is why you should get married,’ she says.

 

  1. _Tessa_



When her live stream with Adidas in Toronto on the Friday had been postponed it had freed Tessa up to travel to Nashville with everyone else. She had thought they’d all be flying in relative comfort, but nope. Winter in Canada apparently had other plans. They’d agreed it made sense to take only one of the buses to Nashville, since Elvis’s time with the tour was over and since between the eight of them, they only need five bunks. So here she is, in the tiny living room, in her pyjamas, trying to think of this as an adventure.

She could bunk with Scott or Kaitlyn or Andrew, but what she is actually going to do is sleep on one of the sofas. She tries to not feel glum about it. She’s a restless sleeper and she’s not as tall as Andrew, so it makes sense that she gives up their bunk. And Scott and Kaitlyn have no concept of personal space, which she appreciates a lot more when she’s awake than she does when she’s trying to sleep; and Andrew sometimes snores, and—it makes sense, but it doesn’t make her happy. She’s going to miss this time they’ve been able to spend with each other. Right now she gets to see Andrew and Kaitlyn and Scott every day, and how lucky is that? Maybe one day, when Andrew and Kaitlyn finally retire—

Her thoughts are interrupted by the invaluable chance to kiss Andrew and Kaitlyn goodnight. They leave for the bunks and Tessa expects Scott to follow, but he doesn’t.

‘Wanted to sleep with you tonight, T,’ he explains, pulling her into a hug.

 ‘You just want to scandalise Eric tomorrow morning,’ Tessa says. She glances dubiously at the narrow sofa.

 ‘Meagan too,’ says Scott. ‘C’mon, we can push the sofas together.’

They do, and Tessa goes to get the extra blankets in the drawer under what’s nominally her bunk. The curtains around the other bunk are closed but she can hear Kaitlyn’s laugh and Andrew’s soft, low voice.

‘I think Andrew’s bed is probably going to be free if you want somewhere comfortable to sleep,’ Tessa says, coming back into the living room and tossing the blankets onto the makeshift bed.

‘I kinda like this set up,’ Scott says. ‘I’m starting to think you just don’t want to spend any time with me.’ He picks up one of the blankets by the edge and Tessa grabs the opposite edge, and they set to work making the bed.

‘You know that’s not true,’ Tessa says. ‘You know I adore you.’ Scott’s smile just now could power the bus the rest of the way to Nashville and then back up to St John’s.

Tessa has to literally climb into bed, stepping up over the short arm of the sofa and grabbing Scott’s outstretched hand.

 ‘So, what did you want to talk about?’ Tessa asks once they’re settled in, her head tucked against Scott’s chest and his arm around her waist.

She can feel some of the tension in his body dissipate as he exhales. ‘You sure do know me, Tessa.’

‘Better than anyone,’ Tessa agrees. She has an inkling of what Scott wants to talk about. It’s something she wants to talk about too, but it’s quiet and the bus is swaying ever so gently and she’s enjoying this moment, so she doesn’t push. She loves Kaitlyn and Andrew, they both do, but Tessa treasures her time with just Scott.

Finally, Scott says, in a casual tone, ‘I was thinking about what Eric said.’ He doesn’t say anything else, and Tessa is going to fall asleep soon, wrapped up in his embrace, so she gets to the point.

‘Marriage,’ she says, shifting so she can see his face. He’s looking at her seriously in that way he has sometimes, like he’s trying to see clear through her, right down into her sinews and her bones. It’s a look that always surprises Tessa. She’s sure they’d managed, through inexperience and dumb luck, to fuse themselves irrevocably together years and years ago. She can’t imagine what he could find within her that he doesn’t already know.

‘Yeah,’ he says, finally.

‘I can’t say I’ve never thought about it,’ says Tessa, smiling. She’s saying yes, and Scott knows she’s saying yes. Scott’s answering smile is soft and inevitable.

‘But what about K and Andrew?’ he asks, and Tessa can hear it in his voice: the worry and fear and excitement and hope.

Tessa’s thought about this, too. ‘We ask them,’ she says.

‘You do it, you’re the sensible one,’ Scott says. ‘They’ll listen to you.’

‘One of the sensible ones, anyway,’ Tessa mumbles, grateful as always that they have Andrew.

Scott pulls her closer to him and she must doze off because she’s not aware of anything for a long time, and then she’s aware of Scott saying ‘We’re not doing it if they say no.’

This wakes Tessa up. ‘Oh, sweetie, no, of course not,’ she says. Scott finds her hand and holds it between his. She snuggles against him and is asleep again in heartbeats.

 

  1. _Eric_



Eric is eating breakfast in the tiny kitchen, squeezed around the table with Scott and Tessa and Meg, when Kaitlyn and Andrew shuffle in. They’re still in their pjs and their hair is mussed from sleep, or from—but Eric shuts that thought down. He doesn’t want to know. Their hair is mussed from sleep, and now they’re in the kitchen.

‘I just wanted to say that we didn’t turn on the tv last night until that movie was like, half over,’ says Kaitlyn, through a yawn.

Eric’s had this same conversation with Scott already today. ‘Save it for someone who hasn’t been living in your pocket for the past month,’ he tells Kaitlyn. ‘It’s okay, we get it. You’re in love.’

Andrew shoves a hand through his hair, mussing it even more. ‘Um, well, on that topic we—we have something we want to talk to you guys about,’ he says. He’s looking at Tessa and Scott.

‘Oh, um,’ says Tessa. ‘We do too? Have something to talk to you guys about, I mean.’ She gestures to Scott. ‘We mean, I mean.’

‘Uh, should the rest of us be here for this?’ asks Meg, and Eric elbows her to get her to stop talking. They’re stuck on this bus for a million more hours and he will take all the free entertainment he can get. Relationship drama isn’t normally his thing, but when in Rome, or whatever.

‘Drink your disgusting crap, you’re fine,’ Scott says to Meg. Eric sees Kaitlyn try to catch Scott’s eye, but he just makes a ridiculous face at her. She sticks her tongue out at him. Eric tries not to miss Luis, but as always, it’s a losing battle.

 ‘Rock, paper, scissors for who goes first?’ suggests Kaitlyn, when neither Tessa or Andrew makes any move to speak. Andrew and Tessa each stick out an arm. They draw the first time, and the time after that, and the time after that.

Eric knows the answer to his question, he fucking knows it, but he can’t stop himself from asking. ‘Are they always like this?’

Scott grins. ‘Yeah, it’s great, eh?’

‘Okay, just—both you guys say it on the count of three,’ says Meg. Tessa and Andrew both nod, and Meg counts them in. ‘Marriage,’ they mumble in unison.

Eric and Meg exchange a look. ‘Of course that’s what you want to talk about,’ says Eric. ‘Of course it is.’

 

  1. _Kaetlyn_



Kaet is grabbing some alone time in the empty kitchen, drinking her second mug of coffee and scrolling through Instagram on her phone—basically minding her own business, in other words—when Scott, Tessa, Andrew, and Kaitlyn emerge from the bunks looking—suspicious—in some way she can’t quite put her finger on. Andrew has an arm flung around Scott’s shoulder, but he does that all the time. Tessa has her arm looped around Kaitlyn’s waist, but same. There’s something about the way they’re all just standing there. Smiling. Even Tessa and wow, it must be later than Kaet had thought. She checks her phone, but no, it’s still morning. Weird, but ultimately not her problem.

Then Kaitlyn starts talking, and Kaet can tell right away that whatever’s going on is about to become her problem. ‘So,’ Kaitlyn says, fingers playing with the end of her braid. The others have moved slightly behind her, making her appear as if she’s their spokesperson. ‘You know how we’re making really good time?’

Kaet sets her phone down so that Kaitlyn knows this bullshit has her full attention. ‘Seriously?’ she asks. ‘Really, sincerely, fucking seriously?’

‘We’re three hours ahead of schedule,’ Kaitlyn continues.

Kaet raises her voice so she can be heard in the bus’s living room. ‘Eric, Patrick, Meagan. I need back-up!’

Kaitlyn isn’t deterred. ‘And you know how there’s a place with a Town Hall like, twenty minutes up the road,’ she says, holding out her phone to Kaet as if Kaet wants or needs these receipts.

‘Nope,’ says Kaet, but it’s a losing battle and she knows it.

Patrick, Eric and Meagan pile into the kitchen.

‘We were thinking, what if we stop off quickly for our wedding?’ finishes Kaitlyn.

Patrick yells and rushes over to hug Kaitlyn and then everyone seems to be yelling and hugging each other, and this? Is definitely not the back-up Kaet had had in mind. She lets herself get carried along in the excitement and swept up in the group hug anyway, because what the heck. Friends are friends, even when you’re stuck fifth-wheeling their obnoxiousness on a daily basis.

 

  1. _Andrew_



They want to share their good news, of course. Selectively. Tessa volunteers to go first, and Andrew is so fucking proud of her for embracing this. Their families know they’re together, and a few close friends, but he knows that Tessa has rarely been forthcoming about what they mean to each other.

They all go into the living room to use the screen and Kaetlyn sets up Skype. Meagan makes a couple of bags of microwave popcorn and passes them around. Tessa gathers Scott and Kaitlyn and Andrew close to her. ‘We have some good news,’ she starts. Her voice is serene, but he can tell she’s nervous from the way she’s holding herself so rigidly. He grabs her hand and squeezes. Scott, on Tessa’s other side, is already holding her other hand. Kait, standing behind them, rests her hands on Tessa’s shoulders.

‘Oh, did you make it to Nashville already?’ asks Kate Virtue.

‘No, we’re still on the road,’ Tessa says. ‘We’re getting married!’

‘Oh! That’s—‘ Kate looks like she doesn’t quite know what to say. Andrew worries suddenly that she’s going to make this difficult. Tessa and her mom are so close and she’s going to be crushed if Kate’s not happy for them.

‘Congratulations, dear,’ Kate says. Her voice is warm but there’s a faintly puzzled expression on her face. ‘I always thought you’d get married to Scott,’ she continues, the faintest hint of a question in her voice.

‘Mom! Kaitlyn and Andrew are right here!’ Tessa chides. ‘I am getting married to Scott, but I’m also getting married to Kaitlyn and Andrew. I love them, you know that, and we’re all so very happy about this. Please be happy for us too.’

‘Darling, of course I’m happy for you,’ Kate says, and Andrew hopes she means it because if Tessa deserves the world—and she does, she definitely does—she at the very least deserves a family who supports her in everything. Kate goes on to apologise and to offer her congratulations to each of them in turn. Her smile falters when she finds out they’re getting married now, today, but it re-appears, if a little less brightly, when Scott assures her they’ll arrange another celebration in Ontario as soon they can, hopefully sometime over Christmas.

Scott’s mother says almost the same things Kate had, word for word, and that’s when Eric borrows a pencil from Kaetlyn and steals some of Tessa’s paper to make bingo cards. Andrew’s tempted to take one when Eric distributes them to Patrick, Kaetlyn and Meagan, because what else can he do but laugh?

It gets easier after that, sort of. Andrew’s mother cries, but her tears are happy tears. Kait’s father doesn’t say much, but he isn’t openly hostile. Kait says she’ll email her mom later, and Andrew gets that. He’d taken Kait’s hand when they’d started talking to her father and he hasn’t let go. He gives her fingers a squeeze. She squeezes back.

Then they call Elvis and his wife, who literally open a bottle of champagne they have lying around and raise a toast to the happy party. Andrew knew there was a reason they’re his favourites. They call Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon next, and Marie is so happy at their news that she jumps out of her chair in her excitement. Andrew has always found Pat hard to read, but he thinks the bemusement on his face is probably approval. ‘My babies,’ says Marie-France. She’s beaming. ‘All of you are my babies,’ she says, looking right at Andrew and Kait. ‘I hoped for this for all of you, and we wish you all the joy and happiness in the world for your marriage.’ Patch nods and smiles and chimes in with his own congratulations.

They end the call a few minutes later and Tessa tries again to get through to her sister Jordan. ‘See?’ says Kaetlyn. ‘Skaters know.’ She makes a mark on her card before holding it up triumphantly. ‘Also? Bingo.’

 

  1. _Patrick_



The brides’ and grooms’ families weren’t unsupportive per se, but Patrick knows that even though they’ll hold another ceremony in Ontario when things settle down, it’s hard for them to be getting married without their families here. He wants to make this day as good for his friends as he can. He knew they’d compared schedules and that today was the only day they all had free until the end of March. He knew they’d agreed they didn’t want to wait.

They can only afford to stay off the road for a couple of hours if they’re going to arrive in Nashville in time to get ready for the charity show most of them are booked to do, so at Tessa’s insistence they make a plan. Patrick figures he and Eric are the only ones with even a modicum of wedding planning experience (he decides, for the sake of his sanity, to ignore the weird as fuck photo shoot Scott and Tessa did that one time) so he makes the executive decision to put the two of them in charge of the entire operation. (Meagan is the only one of them who’s actually married, but she declares she and Bruno had a beach wedding on purpose and she’s sure Patrick and Eric will do just fine.)

Patrick hasn’t learned nothing from co-producing an entire cross-country skating tour, so the first thing he does is delegate responsibility. Kaitlyn is in charge of clothes and also morale, because she can’t seem to stop hugging everyone; Eric is in charge of music; Tessa is in charge of the license and other paperwork; Scott is in charge of the venue; Meagan is in charge of photography; Andrew is in charge of food, and Kaet is in charge of holding on to the wedding rings.

‘Is it because I’m the youngest?’ Kaet complains. ‘Because Meagan’s shorter.’ Meagan takes a picture of Kaet frowning in consternation and posts it to Instagram, sans context, while Patrick trades with Kaet. He’ll look after the rings; she can write the toast. Kaet looks like she’s prepared to argue this, too, but just then the bus comes to a stop, and it’s showtime.

 

  1. _Kaitlyn_



The first thing Kaitlyn does after the planning session is pull Tessa, Scott and Andrew aside to discuss the clothing situation. Scott and Andrew say they have perfectly good suits they can wear, and Tessa wants to wear her kelly-green pant suit. Tessa will look stunning in it, of course, but Kaitlyn’s a little disappointed anyway because she always thought that if they ever got married, she and Tessa would both wear dresses. She thinks Scott might be a little disappointed too, but then Tessa says she feels like she can do anything when she’s wearing her green pant suit, and that’s all Kaitlyn needs to hear. She’s in perfect agreement, and when she glances at Scott she can tell he feels the same way.

Andrew says that of course Tessa should wear green and his voice is soft enough that this is going to turn into a moment if they’re not all careful. They have so much they have to do to get ready, but they take a moment for a group hug anyway, because they can, and because this—this _thing_ the four of them have together, is why they’re doing this in the first place. She doesn’t have words for it; she just knows how it makes her feel, which is deliriously, gloriously happy.

When they break apart Kaitlyn shoos them off the bus to take care of their own errands and rummages through her tiny wardrobe before heading to the kitchen.

‘There’s not much to wear on this bus except costumes, athletic wear and pyjamas,’ she announces.

‘That’s because we’re living our best lives,’ says Meagan.

Arguing with Meagan is boring and doesn’t make her happy, and Kaitlyn’s glad she doesn’t have to do it. She’s getting married to her three favourite people today. This is definitely her best life.

‘True,’ she tells Meagan. ‘But I need a dress. And a second opinion.’ Her eyes land on Kaetlyn, hunched over the table and working on something that involves a lot of crossing out and re-writing. Kaitlyn thinks it might be the toast for the wedding. ‘Kaetlyn?’

‘I’m busy!’ she says, without looking up.

‘Just say you love us and want us to be happy,’ says Kaitlyn. ‘And then come shopping with me. Please?’

‘Ugh, fine,’ says Kaetlyn, throwing her pencil on the table. ‘When I said you guys should get married, I didn’t mean you guys should get married,’ she adds.

‘That’s like, Tessa and Scott levels of PR bullshit,’ Meagan points out.

‘I just didn’t mean like, right this second is all,’ says Kaetlyn.

‘Well, this is the clearest our schedules are going to be until after Worlds, so,’ says Kaitlyn. She turns to Meagan.

‘I don’t want to come,’ says Meagan quickly, before Kaitlyn has the chance to invite her along. ‘But can I wear pyjamas at your wedding?’

Kaitlyn can’t help herself. She wants to hug everyone in the world right now, especially Meagan, so she does. Meagan indulges her. Kaitlyn always forgets she’s a surprisingly good hugger. ‘Of course you can,’ Kaitlyn says.

 

  1. _Scott_



Scott’s at the Town Hall, making all the necessary arrangements with the staff and pasting on a polite smile every time someone tells him he’s lucky they have the space today, when Kaitlyn shows up. The Town Hall is essentially deserted and the town itself is small and sleepy; Scott doubts this place sees more than twenty or so ceremonies a year, tops, and those probably shared with the town’s churches. But he can nod and smile if it means he gets to get married here, today.

Kaitlyn’s wearing a bright pink dress that reminds him a little of the one she wears for her new exhibition programme, but shorter. And cut lower in the front. She’s beautiful. K’s always beautiful, of course, but everything feels ramped up to eleven today, and the way K looks is no exception. Scott swallows, overcome by emotion. He turns to Meagan just to have someone with whom to share this unforgettable moment.

Meagan opens her mouth but before she can get a word out, Kaitlyn points a finger at her. ‘Meagan! We talked about this.’

‘It’s just so hard not to judge people!’ Meagan complains.

 ‘That’s a fucking mood, Meg,’ Eric says, passing them in the hall. Scott can see he’s holding the sheet music for later, and he can feel his shoulders relax just that little bit more. It’s all coming together. He wants it to be perfect. Kaitlyn and Tessa and Andrew deserve for it to be perfect.

‘You look nice, Kait,’ says Eric, over his shoulder.

‘Thanks, Eric,’ says Kaitlyn. Scott holds out his hand and she takes it and does a twirl.

‘And I was going to say that you look nice too!’ says Meagan.

‘Anyway, I probably shouldn’t be wearing this yet,’ says Kaitlyn. ‘But I just couldn’t wait.’

Scott knows the feeling. He loops his arm through Kaitlyn’s, and they head out to meet up with Tessa and Andrew.

 

  1. _Tessa_



Scott had been given a recommendation by the staff at the Town Hall for a jewellery store that could provide expedited service, and Tessa had met him and the others outside the small shop fifteen minutes ago. The jeweller had explained their options and they’d joked with him that of course they’d want gold over silver. He’d smiled politely before moving away to give the four of them the chance to look privately at the ring selection.

They huddle in front of the display cases, all suddenly quiet. Tessa pulls the bag containing their marriage licence and other necessary paperwork more securely onto her shoulder. They’re going to be doing skating shows in this town for the next twenty years because of the favours she’s had to beg, but she has everything they need to go ahead and do this.

‘It’s such a big decision,’ she says, just to say something.

‘We don’t have to get matching rings,’ offers Kaitlyn.

‘I’d like us to have matching rings,’ says Scott, quietly.

‘Okay,’ says Kaitlyn, just as quietly.

‘Silver would go with Tessa’s ring,’ says Andrew. Tessa flashes him a quick smile. She’s still looking at him when she sees him catch Scott’s eye.

‘Sochi,’ Scott says. He glances at Tessa, making sure she agrees, before turning back to Andrew. Scott’s expression is so raw, so filled with love. She loves how much they love each other. Tessa blinks back tears, and Kaitlyn must see because she wraps an arm around Tessa’s waist, pulling her into a sideways hug.

Sochi could have been—almost was—a disaster, but she and Scott had been there for each other in the end. And Kait and Andrew had been there too, for each other and for her and Scott. She hopes, as she always does, that she and Scott do enough to be there for Andrew and Kaitlyn.

Tessa is so proud of all of them, of all the work and care and love they’ve put into nurturing this thing between the four of them. She puts her hands out, and then Andrew’s and Scott’s hands are right there in hers. Sochi.

‘Silver’s perfect,’ says Kaitlyn.

‘Yeah,’ Andrew says. He clears his throat, and Tessa can see that his eyes are bright. ‘Yes.’

 

They pick out plain, complementary bands and ask the jeweller to engrave the date on the inside. While they’re waiting for the sizing, they discover in conversation with the jeweller’s assistant that she emigrated to the US from Russia. After a brief discussion, some of it in Russian because Andrew and Kaitlyn are just that amazing, they ask for ‘Sochi’ to be added in Cyrillic next to the date. There’s not enough room for their names, which had been the other thing they’d discussed, but Tessa thinks ‘Sochi’ is perfect. Their time there had been difficult in so many ways, and nothing had been figured out or solved, but still it had been the beginning of a lot of things. It had been the beginning of everything, really. It’s humbling that they’ve gone from what they were to each other four years ago, to this.

‘Are we going to wear the rings right now?’ asks Tessa, quietly.

She didn’t think she sounded _that_ ready to break under the weight of all her emotions, but suddenly they’re surrounding her, Kaitlyn and Andrew on either side, Scott directly across. ‘We’re not gonna do anything you don’t wanna do, T,’ says Scott, holding her hands in his.

Kaitlyn hums in agreement and hugs Tessa.

‘I think all of us want to keep protecting this, yeah?’ says Andrew.

‘We know you love us,’ says Kaitlyn, and that’s when the tears that had been gathering in the corners of Tessa’s eyes finally start to fall.

 

  1. _Meagan_



Meagan is really, really not cut out for any emotional labour bullshit, but she’s on her way into the Town Hall when she spots Andrew outside, sitting atop the low stone wall running along the side of the drive, a pensive expression on his face, and Meagan can’t not stop.

Andrew offers her a hand up onto the wall and Meagan settles in and cuts to the chase. Stone is cold and now so is her ass. ‘Hey, are you okay?’ she asks. ‘I know we’ve been giving you guys a hard time and everything, but you’re getting fucking _married_ , dude, and we’re your friends. It’s our job.’

‘That’s not it,’ he says. Meagan waits.

 ‘I guess it’s just—I love Kait,’ Andrew begins, slowly, ‘but I spent so long feeling like shit for wanting more than we had, and then when we agreed to see other people too and Kait started seeing Tessa, I was so happy for her.’

Andrew’s got the dorkiest smile on his face that Meagan has ever seen on anyone outside a Disney movie, but she’s resigned herself to the fact that today is just going to be like this.

‘But I’ve been half in love with Tessa and Scott since high school, you know?’ Andrew continues.

Meagan did not fucking know, but whatever.

‘Don’t tell them I told you that,’ Andrew adds quickly. ‘I get chirped enough for being a sap. I just—I just never thought I’d get this lucky, I guess.’

‘Uh,’ says Meagan, because she’s not sure what else she’s supposed to say that she hasn’t already said. Also, since high school?!

Luckily Patrick and Kaetlyn walk up just then, arm in arm, clearly on their way into the Town Hall. ‘Lambs, nice,’ Kaetlyn says, looking Meagan’s pyjamas up and down. ‘You guys coming?’

Meagan glances at Andrew because she doesn’t want to leave if he still needs someone, but he nods at her to go on. ‘Give me a minute,’ he says to Patrick and Kaetlyn. Meagan hops down from the wall they’ve been sitting on, and Andrew reaches out to briefly touch her arm. ‘Thanks for the talk, Meg.’

‘Right,’ says Meagan after a moment. ‘Anytime.’

 

  1. _Kaitlyn_



‘Down or up?’ asks Tessa, taking Kaitlyn’s hair and twisting it into an experimental knot. Kaitlyn looks at their reflections in the mirror. Tessa’s already dressed for the wedding in her suit and a grey blouse Kaitlyn had picked up earlier. Her shoes are the same pink as Kaitlyn’s dress, and Kaitlyn’s are the same green as Tessa’s suit. Honestly, anyone who did not want the four of them to be wearing complementary outfits shouldn’t have put Kaitlyn in charge of clothes.

‘Stylist’s choice,’ she says, and Tessa hums and lets go of Kaitlyn’s hair. It falls uninspiringly over her shoulders, but Tessa’s already digging out the curling iron and plugging it in.

Kaitlyn’s trying to tell herself that she’s given Tessa free reign over her hair out of generosity rather than nerves, but the butterflies in her stomach are arguing otherwise. She feels like this is a performance day, not one of the best days of her life. Then it occurs to her that performance days are some of the best days of her life, and she can’t help but smile at how fitting it is. Tessa asks her what she’s thinking, and Kaitlyn’s about to explain the connection she’s made, but this is Tessa. She can say what she really means, and Tessa will always, always listen.

‘Hey, is it weird to be scared?’ she asks. Tessa winds a section of Kaitlyn’s hair around the wand of the iron and leaves it for few moments. She gently unwinds the curl and arranges it to fall in front of Kaitlyn’s shoulder before answering. Kaitlyn loves that Tessa takes her ridiculous questions so seriously.

‘Totally not weird,’ decides Tessa. She reaches for another section of hair, but Kaitlyn stops her.

‘I just—I need a minute.’ She puts her head between her knees and concentrates on controlling her breathing. Something about Tessa’s simple acceptance of Kaitlyn just as she is, is too much right now.

She can hear Tessa set the curling iron down on the counter and a second later she feels her hand on her back. She’s grateful that Tessa doesn’t say anything, because she needs silence right now. Sometimes Andrew can get away with talking to her when she’s like this, and one time Scott did. Right now, Tessa’s hand is a cool, comforting weight between her shoulder blades and it’s just what Kaitlyn needs.

When she feels less shaky, she sits up. Tessa’s hand slides gently down her back and off, and Kaitlyn reaches for it and laces their fingers together. ‘Thanks, Tess,’ she says. ‘I’m good.’ She lets go and squares her shoulders, ready for Tessa to be getting on with doing her hair.

Tessa picks up the curling iron, waits for it to warm up again. ‘You know,’ she says, ‘we don’t have to go through with this. The guys would understand. It’s all so sudden—’

‘—it’s not, though,’ says Kaitlyn, twisting around so she can see Tessa properly.

‘No, you’re right. It’s not,’ agrees Tessa.

Kaitlyn loves Tessa so much, for trying always to protect all of them, and for never letting them lose sight of the important things.

‘Remember the first time I kissed you?’ Kaitlyn asks. ‘I had no idea whether you felt the same way about me. I felt so brave. Scott was always there, but one time I thought you looked at me like maybe—but even when you guys weren’t—I knew that you would pick Scott over me. Or, I thought I knew.’

Tessa tugs Kaitlyn out of her chair and wraps her up in a hug. ‘I didn’t have to pick anyone over you,’ she says. ‘And you’re still the bravest person I know.’

Kaitlyn pulls Tessa beside her so she can look at them side-by-side. Tessa’s hair is already in a high, elegant knot, but Kaitlyn’s one curl just look ridiculous. ‘Can you look over the email I’m going to send to my mother?’ asks Kaitlyn.

‘Is that why—’ Tessa starts, before apparently thinking better of it. Kaitlyn wants to tell her mom, but she doesn’t want today to be about her mom. ‘Of course I can,’ Tessa says.

Kaitlyn can see her study their reflections in the mirror. ‘I guess this is a bad time to suggest we take a selfie to attach with it,’ Tessa says.

Kaitlyn laughs, and Tessa smiles and kisses her. ‘Let’s send one to Ash though,’ Kaitlyn says.

‘Definitely,’ Tessa says.

 

  1. _Andrew_



‘Hey.’

Andrew looks up to see Scott standing on the driveway alongside the wall, hands shoved into the pockets of his grey suit. His pocket square is the same navy as Andrew’s suit, and knowing Kait that’s no coincidence. ‘Hey,’ Andrew says.

‘You coming?’

He winces at the uncertainty in Scott’s voice. ‘Yeah,’ Andrew says.

‘You okay, man?’

‘It’s a lot, you know?’ says Andrew.

‘But the good kind,’ says Scott. Andrew can tell he’s trying not to make it a question.

‘The best,’ says Andrew, simply.

Scott’s shoulders relax. Andrew reaches out a hand, and Scott takes it, helping him down off the wall.

‘Did you see Kait’s dress?’ asks Scott.

‘Meagan sent me a photo of her and Tessa,’ says Andrew. He fumbles in his pocket for his phone and shows Scott. Kait has her arm around Tessa’s shoulder and they’re laughing, faces curved toward each other, Kait taking the selfie but clearly too wrapped up in Tessa to care about getting a great photo. The resolution is fuzzy, but it’s a perfect shot.

‘They look like—’ Andrew’s not sure how to explain how the photo makes him feel. It’s Scott, though, so he pretty much doesn’t have to.

‘Yeah,’ Scott says, his voice soft.

‘Yeah,’ says Andrew. ‘Like—like spring or something, I don’t know. Just the colours, and their smiles, you know?’

‘We should do one, eh,’ says Scott. He pulls out his own phone, pulls Andrew in. Andrew dips his head to kiss Scott just as Scott takes the photo. Andrew watches as he opens their group chat and adds the photo for Kait and Tessa to see.

‘Okay, let’s go get married,’ says Andrew.

‘Let’s go get married,’ agrees Scott.

 

  1. _Patrick_



The chapel in the Town Hall is small and crammed with pews separated by an aisle down the middle. There are also narrow aisles along each wall, which Patrick clocks right away as being useful for a ceremony with this many people in it. There’s a piano in the front left corner which Eric, in the absence of the regular pianist, has commandeered. Patrick knows he’s nervous to be performing at the wedding of their dear, if impulsive, friends. He’s honestly surprised that Tessa for one has gone along with this whole thing. Not that he doubts her love and respect for Kaitlyn and Andrew and Scott, or her commitment to her relationship: he’s seen the way she looks at them too many times when she thinks no one’s looking and has had too many tipsy conversations with her, for him to think that. Well, one tipsy conversation with Tessa, but it was memorable.

The chapel has a binder of what amounts to choreography for use in weddings with three or more participants, and earlier Patrick and Eric, as nominal wedding planners, had picked out the most complicated program for four people to present for consideration to the brides and grooms. He knew they’d get it down in a single practice run, and he’d been right. The jaw of the nice fellow from the Town Hall in charge of the programs had dropped nearly to the floor. Meagan, delighted, had taken a photo.

Now Patrick sits in the front row between Meagan and Kaetlyn. Josh, their driver, had declared he held no truck with romance and had elected to catch up on some desperately needed sleep. The only other ‘guest’ is an elderly white woman with pink hair and a smart white suit who had introduced herself as Miss Venus Chester and informed them that she came to all the weddings ever since she’d retired as a nurse twenty years earlier. She had a kind smile and seemed harmless enough, but Meagan had confiscated her phone anyway. Their friends had requested privacy and Meagan was taking her duties as official photographer very seriously. She was only posting the most circumspect of pictures to Instagram, and she leaned over now to show her phone to Patrick and Meagan. Meagan had posted a selfie in the chapel, pews clearly visible in the background. Kaetlyn snort-laughs and reaches over Patrick to high-five Meagan.

Patrick doesn’t see what’s so funny—Meagan wearing pyjamas, maybe, if he squints hard enough—until he reads the comments below the post. Some poor soul has posted ‘I sure hope you’re in Nashville!’ and Meagan’s responded with ‘this is a photo of me in a public building in a small town in an entirely different state’.

Patrick laughs and hands the phone back to Meagan just as the woman conducting the ceremony clears her throat. Patrick smiles reassuringly at Eric as he starts to play the music he’s been working on for Patrick’s own upcoming wedding. The far doors open and Patrick twists in his seat so he can see Andrew, Kaitlyn, Tessa and Scott as they file in. Making full use of the multiple aisles and the space at the front of the pews, they perform a series of walks wherein everyone spends an equal amount of time with everyone else.

Miss Chester—Venus—is sitting on Meagan’s other side and she leans over to catch Patrick’s eye before glancing significantly at the wedding party. Patrick gives her a thumbs up and she gives him a satisfied smile before settling back into her seat. He and Eric had forgotten to put anyone in charge of flowers, and Venus had shaken her head sadly at them both before rustling up some violet chrysanthemums completely out of nowhere. There were potted flowers at the front of the room, and she’d pinned single blossoms to Andrew and Scott and Tessa’s suits and Kaitlyn’s dress, explaining that her girlfriend had been a florist before she’d passed on. Chrysanthemums stand for joy, she’d explained. ‘Oh, that’s so thoughtful,’ Tessa had said. ‘Thank you so much, Miss Chester.’ ‘Please, call me Venus,’ Miss Chester had said. ‘I insist.’

 

His friends exchange vows standing in a circle at the front of the chapel, holding hands tightly. They’re all holding back tears, Patrick can tell, but he can’t throw stones because he’s struggling to keep it together himself. He’s honoured beyond words to be here witnessing them promise to take care of each other for the rest of their lives. He can’t wait until he and Liz are doing the same thing.

The official stops talking, and this is Patrick’s cue. He takes the small bag containing the rings from his inside jacket pocket and deposits them one by one into the palms of the brides and grooms. Scott pulls Patrick into a quick hug before he takes his seat again in the front row. There’s another section of choreography involving rings being placed on fingers, and embracing, and kissing, and Scott and Kaitlyn are visibly crying now.

And then it’s over, and Tessa and Kaitlyn and Scott and Andrew are married, and Eric abandons the piano and Kaetlyn stops filming and everyone is hugging and laughing and talking, the chapel filled with joyful energy. Meagan reluctantly hands her own phone over to Venus so she can be in the group photo. Patrick sees her looking doubtfully at the elderly woman. ‘I take all the group photos, dear,’ says Venus.

 

  1. _Scott_



It’s a beautiful day out. Well—it’s chilly and windy but there isn’t any snow, so Scott will take it. Not that Scott hates snow or anything. It’s practically his patriotic duty to love snow, after all, and Scott takes his patriotic duties very seriously. He’s so grateful they’d been able find the time to do what they’d done today—and holy shit, he just got married to his three best friends and he doesn’t know when that’s going to sink in, because it sure as hell still seems surreal. Still, he’s bitterly disappointed that today had come at the expense of cancelling the Summerside show due to inclement weather. He hates letting down the fans who have supported them throughout their careers.

He lingers with the others on the steps of the Town Hall for a few more group shots, arms slung around shoulders and fingers pressed into waists. Andrew hugs Kait and takes off his jacket, holding it out for Kait to slip into. Tessa squeezes Scott’s shoulder and reaches up to kiss him gently on the cheek before subtly pushing Kait in his direction and hurrying to catch up with Andrew.

Scott watches for a moment as they head in the direction of the bus, then taps Kait on the shoulder. ‘Hey,’ he says. He’d seen Kait crying during the ceremony and he wanted to touch base with her to see how she was doing. He wraps her up in a hug and she starts crying again, in earnest. Scott rubs her back until her tears peter out. Kait pulls away and eyes him. ‘Are _you_ okay?’

She’d seen him crying too, then. He nods, and watches as Kaitlyn searches his face for a long moment. She must agree with Scott because she lets it drop, plucking his grey pocket square from his suit to dry her eyes. He holds out his arm and Kait gives him a look that he knows means ‘yeah, okay, but only for you,’ before she puts her arm through his. They head back toward the bus, but Kait slows to a stop partway, gripping his arm to halt them both.

‘I’m so happy,’ Kait says, looking at him worriedly. ‘I didn’t want you to think—’

‘—I know, love,’ says Scott.

 They start walking again. ‘This is your fault, you know,’ Scott says after half a block.

‘My fault?’ says Kait, through a laugh.

‘Yeah, your fault,’ says Scott. He laughs too and presses a kiss into the soft hair above Kaitlyn’s ear. She smells like hairspray and Tessa’s perfume.

‘Your fault,’ he confirms. ‘You gathered us all up and loved us and brought us together.’ They’ve arrived outside the bus now, and he reluctantly lets go of Kait, tugs her arm gently until she’s standing in front of him.

‘Sochi was hard, K, for so many reasons, and you made it better. Then, and always.’ His voice cracks, but it’s Kaitlyn. She’s not going to hold it against him.

It’s Kait’s turn to wrap Scott up into a hug. ‘You guys are my world,’ she says, mouth against his ear. ‘We all did it. All of us. We did it together.’

 

  1. _Eric_



Eric walks back to the bus next to Patrick. ‘Great tunes, man,’ said Patrick. ‘Can’t wait until you’re playing at mine and Liz’s wedding.’

Eric waves off the compliment. He’s happy with the way his composition is developing, but he’s going to have to try to find a piano when they’re in Nashville and work out some new ideas he has for the melody. He wonders what his own fiancé is doing right now, if Luis has finished at the rink and is home for the day, or if he’d stopped off somewhere on the way home. He’d said something this morning about maybe getting Chinese at the place down from the rink with some of the skaters.

Just then Meg catches them up and loops her arm through Eric’s. The three of them walk in silence for a while. Eric swears he can barely feel the cold trying to bite through his suit jacket, it’s been such a warm, joyful day.

‘Do you ever just want to get married right away?’ he says to Patrick.

‘Yeah,’ Patrick says quickly. ‘All the time, man. But especially today.’

‘Aw, you guys are going to love being married so much,’ said Meg. ‘It’s so great. You can just like, feel the love every single day, you know?’

Patrick stops in his tracks and stares at her, and, yeah. Eric sometimes forgets not everyone knows Meg like he knows Meg.

‘Are you—you’re trolling us, aren’t you?’ Patrick asks.

Meg glares at Patrick, then relents. ‘You’ll have to wait and see,’ she says.

Eric throws his arm around Patrick’s shoulder. ‘She is one hundred percent serious, my man,’ Eric says. ‘One hundred percent serious.’

 

  1. _Kaetlyn_



Kaet snuggles further into the oversized tour hoodie she’s wearing over her pyjamas, tugging the sleeves over her wrists for maximum coziness. She wasn’t expecting to have any eventful days on this road trip and it’s nice to have the chance now to relax and unwind. She’s got a Skype date with her boyfriend later on, but for now she pours boiling water into the two mugs on the tiny counter next to the kettle and inhales the soothing scent of peppermint. She set one of the mugs on the ledge where Eric can reach it and picks up her own mug. Eric’s tapping away on his phone, smiling softly.

‘Luis?’ she asks. Eric nods without taking his eyes off the screen and holds out an arm. Kaet puts her mug of tea down on the floor, tucked up against the sofa, and shuffles into Eric’s side. He puts his arm around her, pulling her in. They’re all in their pjs now, having decided to celebrate the wedding with a pyjama party as the bus hurtled on toward Nashville.

Kaet had delivered her speech right after they’d all gotten back to the bus. In the end it had filled a page and a half of lined paper, singled spaced, and had basically boiled down to ‘you guys are actually the worst slash best and also the most ridiculously embarrassing, but we love you and we want all the happiness in the world for you’. As their friend and castmate, Kaet had felt honour-bound to include some specific examples about the whole being embarrassed thing. Tessa had burst into tears, which had been unexpected and awkward, but Scott had hugged her, and she’d stopped after a minute, and then Andrew had poured champagne into plastic flutes and they’d all toasted Kaitlyn and Tessa and Andrew and Scott. Then they’d dug into the take out Andrew had ordered delivered to the bus. The man definitely had a gift for food: Kaet had not expected the best phở she’d ever had to have come from literally the middle of nowhere, USA.

The take out containers have been cleared away now, and Tessa looks like she’s asleep, or close to it, sprawled across Kaitlyn and Andrew. The two of them are curled into each other on the sofa opposite, talking quietly, Kaitlyn running a hand across Tessa’s hair. Scott is sitting with his back against the other sofa, engrossed in something Meagan is showing him on her phone. Probably wedding photos, judging from the way his eyes are shining in the dim light, but it’s even money as to whether they’re Meagan’s or Scott’s. He has one hand curled around Andrew’s ankle. Patrick’s sitting on Meagan’s other side, leaning in to look at her phone half of the time and on his own phone the other half.

Kaetlyn digs her phone out from between the sofa cushions. She wants a picture of this moment that even she can admit is quiet and lovely and peaceful. It’s odd, this quietness: they’re a loud, friendly cast—some of them louder than others—and being tired all the time from travelling and performing usually only makes them, on the whole, more punch-drunk, not less.

She frames the group on the other sofa, and Andrew looks up just before Kaet takes the photo, a contented smile on his face. Then Kaet tries to take a selfie with Eric, except that just then Patrick kicks over Kaet’s tea, and Meagan yelps and so does Scott, and Tessa wakes up, and everything descends into the usual chaos.

 

_Epilogue_

Their collective world had stopped spinning, just for a moment, on a bus on the way to Nashville. They had stopped, had fallen more deeply into each other than ever, their singular world as much on record now as any of their other achievements. Instead of medals and accolades, they have rings hung on chains and tucked, for now, next to their hearts. They have each other.

Andrew, Kaitlyn, Tessa, and Scott do a celebratory lap around the ice when they get to Nashville. Their world is spinning again, faster and faster, and none of them ever, ever want to get off.

//

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from 'What Kind of Times are These' by Adrienne Rich.
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @/mfparaph


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